Running 200 miles: Tahoe race tests will to endure

Candice Burt, 32, of Bellingham, Wash., is co-director of the Tahoe 200 Endurance Run. The run starts Sept. 5 and will test runners with about 37,000 feet of ascent. Burt says it is the first single-loop 200 race in the United States.
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"I don't think I would be putting on a 200-miler without that experience," Burt said. "You have to have a lot of confidence to put on an event like this."

While it certainly takes confidence, stamina and toughness to organize what is thought to be the first single-loop, 200-mile footrace in the United States. It takes that and then some to compete in it.

Imagine running roughly the distance from Reno to San Francisco. Then throw in nearly 40,000 feet of elevation gain. And to finish under the 100 hour cutoff runners will need to cover at least 50 miles per day. The fastest will likely be done within about 60 hours of starting. No easy feat on the steep, rocky terrain of the Tahoe Basin.

Even Burt, an accomplished endurance athlete, failed to complete a fastest known time attempt on the approximately 175-mile Tahoe Rim Trail, which aligns with the Tahoe 200 course. She completed 108 miles before breaking down.

Depending on conditions they could be battling extreme heat, extreme cold, or both. No matter what they'll be coping with high elevation running, the threat of dehydration or over-hydration, lack of sleep and extreme demand on their muscles and ligaments.

"Any kind of activity you get into where you are pushing your body to the extreme is going to be dangerous," said Nardi, an emergency medical technician with an advanced certificate in wilderness medicine. "Recovery time is important -- that's what they're not getting in this race."

Candice Burt, 32, chose Lake Tahoe for the site of the inaugural Tahoe 200 Endurance Run because it was an opportunity to put together a 200-mile, single loop course in punishing terrain that also serves as an inspiring scenic backdrop.
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The route has 170 miles of single-track, 11 miles of paved road and 21 miles of 4x4 road, which includes the iconic Rubicon Trail.

Although the race is limited to competitors who have completed at least one mountain 100-miler or two non-mountain 100-milers the demands of the course are such that even accomplished competitors could have trouble. That's part of the fun of ultra-running, Burt said.

"I think people are looking for a bigger challenge than a 100-miler," she said," she said. "They want to challenge themselves somewhere where they don't know if they can finish."

That doesn't mean ultra-running is is limited to people who look and act like superheroes, though. Many competitive runners are in their 30s, 40s, 50s and even their 60s.

Nardi said older runners who have trained adequately gain from experience because they learn how to understand their bodies and set a pace that's appropriate for extreme distance.

"It is an incredible thing to watch when you see a 60-year-old lady pushing through checkpoint after checkpoint when 26 and 27 year-olds just can't make it through," he said.

JB Benna, 35, of Reno, intends to be one of the runners who pushes through.

Benna has never run a 200-mile race but last year he completed the 170-mile Tahoe Rim Trail with a fastest known time of about 58 hours. He battled nausea, vomiting and even hallucenations along the way.

Benna thinks the experience will help him in the Tahoe 200.

"I've already run 174 miles so what's an extra 26," Benna said. "For me it is really about adventure, both on a physical level, also just exploring my own limits and seeing how far and hard I can push."

Benna hopes to finish the 200-miler in roughly the same amount of time it took to go 170 on the rim trail. That's because the rim trail adventure was unsupported, which meant he had to carry more food and supplies. The Tahoe 200 has aid stations with food, water, medical experts and other support.

Still, any long distance mountain run can be grueling.

"When you go that many miles the small alignment issues will turn into major swelling," he said. "Your weaknesses get pointed out."

Northern Nevada and California entrants in the Tahoe 200 Endurance Run